title: Hospitalization pattern in a hospital-based palliative care program: an example from Saudi Arabia.
abstract: The few palliative care programs available to date in Saudi Arabia are largely hospital-based. Subacute palliative care models have not been developed yet. This retrospective review was conducted to assess the patterns and outcomes of hospital-based palliative care unit admissions in the absence of subacute palliative care models. We reviewed 759 eligible palliative care unit admissions related to 629 cancer patients during a 4-year period. Of all admissions, 66% were hospitalized through the emergency room. The average hospital stay was 24 days. The majority (86%) of patients died in-hospital. These results suggest that end-of-life quality indicators are unlikely to improve depending on hospital-based palliative care models only. To improve palliative care services in Saudi Arabia, other subacute models may need to be considered.
authors.affiliation: Palliative Care Medicine Section, King Faisal Cancer Centre, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. alsirafy@gmail.com
authors.forename: Samy A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Alsirafy
authors.forename: Azza A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: Mohammad Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Al-Shahri
mesh_terms: D001293:Attitude to Death; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011788:Quality of Life; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012938:Social Perception; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*